Brian Barber was the winner of the 1991 Gatorade National Player of the Year at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida after going 11-0, 8 of which were complete games. Some have claimed that his lack of success at the major league level was attributable to the St. Louis Cardinals, who selected him in the first round of the 1991 amateur draft, rushing him to the big leagues. For example, in 1994, Barber was the youngest player at the AAA level by nearly two years.